Understanding and reversing the rapid declines in Australia's shorebirds (2011-2014)

There is growing evidence from disparate sources across Australia of a major decline in the abundance of Australia¿s migratory shorebirds. It suggests that millions of birds have been lost. This project will bring together these data to comprehensively assess trends in abundance and untangle the cause of any decline. Both are critical for managing this national asset. We will (i) identify flyway-wide trends in bird numbers by developing state of the art analysis techniques, (ii) identify the causes of decline, both local and remote, and (iii) determine how to manage Australia¿s coastal wetlands to reverse shorebird losses. New techniques will generalize widely to understanding and managing any ecosystem that includes migratory species.